SRT Vipers make ALMS debut at Mid-Ohio

August 2, 2012

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SRT Motorsports made its long-awaited debut in the American Le Mans Series on Thursday, testing for the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge. The two SRT Viper GTS-Rs hit the track for the first time after the manufacturer announced in April that it was bringing a two-car factory Viper program.

This weekend's event marks the first race for Viper in the ALMS since 2000.

The No. 91 Viper of Dominik Farnbacher and Kuno Wittmer was 11th in GT on Thursday at 1:22.891 (98.066 mph). Two spots down was the No. 93 Viper entry of Marc Goossens and Tommy Kendall.

“First of all, I want to thank the whole SRT team for putting this together. It's been a hell of a few months,” said Farnbacher, who posted the team's best lap Thursday. “We've been working day and night, and thanks to the team for working day and night.

“The car feels fantastic. The first time out, it already feels very good. Of course, the first time out we have a little fine-tuning to do on the setup, but other than that it's a fantastic car. I think we're heading the right way. It feels good so far.”

The SRT Vipers—constructed by Riley Technologies—went through a thorough testing schedule that included multiple days at Mid-Ohio in the past month. The GT class in the ALMS also includes factory- and works-supported teams from BMW, Chevrolet, Porsche, Ferrari and Lotus.

“There are goals and expectations,” Kendall said. “A driver's goal is to always come out and win the race. The expectation, though, is to learn as much as we can. We've done a lot of testing and have a lot of questions in our minds about where we stand. We want to get as many miles as we can. We're under no illusions about what we've gotten into. We picked a pretty deep and stocked pool to jump in.”

The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday, being hosted at the 2.25-mile, 13-turn Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.